Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Ansgar's Dream (5)
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Lord Heines's daughter, Adena, had returned from the capital of the Barak Empire.
She came back with a priest from the Donar Temple and emergency relief supplies. From now on, the temple affairs would be handled by the priest dispatched from the capital, and Adena would manage the relief supplies. All I had to do was collect the money from her.
‘That doesn’t mean I’m not worried, though….’
Ravata and Dihid.
These were no small cities. They were strategic strongholds of the Barak Empire, each adjacent to key seas and rivers…. If cities like these collapsed even once, it would only be a matter of time before war spread across the continent like wildfire.
‘…This time, we were just lucky in many ways.’
Really, we were lucky. If I had stayed longer in the Silver Mountains, if I hadn’t come through Solen to meet Khalid, if I had headed to a completely different city….
I might have heard by now that the war had begun.
‘The Crows….’
They were trying to overturn the peace that had held for such a short time.
‘I need to issue a warning.’
Whether it would work properly was another question.
Adena was someone who had inherited Ansgar’s blood, just like her father Heines. That meant she was connected by blood to the imperial family of the Barak Empire as well. If I at least warned her before leaving, I could ease my worries a bit.
Guided by a servant, we entered the office, where a woman with sparkling blonde hair tied high in a single ponytail and dressed in a white uniform came into view. Her confident expression and demeanor resembled Heines only in her blonde hair. She approached us boldly. And then—
*Slap!*
Without warning, she grabbed Lloyd’s hand and shook it vigorously.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say your contributions were enormous. On behalf of Dihid, I thank you, Theodore.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence followed. I could see Elle glancing at me sideways.
“…Did I make some mistake?”
At Adena’s words, Lloyd, who had been silent, carefully released her hand and nodded toward me.
“Theodore is over here.”
“Th-that one…?”
Adena looked back and forth between Lloyd and me in disbelief, so I waved lightly.
“Yes. I’m Theodore.”
“H-however….”
“Yeah. Anyone would think the one over there is the righteous knight who saved dozens of cities.”
“Oh my goodness…. I apologize for my rudeness.”
“It’s fine. It happens a lot.”
I smiled reassuringly at Adena, who was starting to break out in a cold sweat. She couldn’t hide her flustered state and fumbled around. Well, she must be out of sorts. The city had nearly collapsed, and her father had died.
We exchanged brief introductions and greetings, then began the main discussion. About the situation at the Donar Temple, about preserving the shrine of Linshaka, and most importantly, about the ‘money.’
Fortunately, Adena paid a fair price. Not only for the food I had distributed to Dihid’s residents but also generously for saving the city from crisis. I happily stored the hefty pouch of gold coins in my subspace ring.
“Father….”
As the conversation wound down, Adena hesitantly spoke up. It seemed she wouldn’t pretend not to know how her father had met his end.
“What clouded the lord’s mind was a demon named Barbason. He’s now sealed in the floor of the underground temple.”
“Barbason….”
“Have you met him?”
“Unfortunately or fortunately, I’ve neither heard his name nor seen him. But….”
“But?”
“One night, in Father’s office…. Right here, I encountered light leaking through the door crack and an unfamiliar voice.”
“…….”
“It was a voice I’d never heard before. Seemed old yet young, male yet female…. Strange and alluring.”
“What were they talking about?”
“I couldn’t hear the contents. So the next day, I asked Father. Who he was talking to and about what. That’s when Father said, ‘about the new Ansgar.’”
“…….”
“I thought it was nonsense. Something that shouldn’t happen. When I told him honestly, Father….”
“…….”
“Father sent me off to the capital in a hurry. I didn’t know the exact reason then. To think such things were happening while I was away….”
Adena gave a bitter smile. I wanted to comfort her, but no suitable words came to mind. However…. I could tell her what she should do.
“…The lord said he did this to restore Ansgar’s glory.”
“…….”
“The past inevitably fades before a brilliant future. Adena, that’s why he sent you to the capital. If Dihid’s ‘future’—you—were here, he wouldn’t have done this.”
“…….”
“This city came to the brink of destruction due to vain longing for the past. Adena, as the new lord, move toward the future.”
A father’s untimely death, the dishonor of consorting with a demon, and the burden of rebuilding the city. Only trials and tribulations awaited her.
“…I’ll keep those words deep in my heart.”
Yet Dihid could move toward a new future. I could tell from Adena’s smile. I stood, shaking her hand one last time.
“If you ever need my help, feel free to call on me.”
Of course, it would be a paid service then too.
* * *
On the way out of the castle, I ran into Draven.
“Draven.”
“Theodore. Leaving now?”
“Yes. I stayed longer than expected.”
“Haha. Shame. I was going to treat you now that I’m guard captain.”
“Next time then.”
As I recommended, Adena seemed intent on hiring a large number from Altan, including Draven. Good decision. We exchanged brief greetings and parted.
Near the castle exit was the cat tree garden I had nicely arranged. Even though the goddess statue hadn’t arrived yet, the area around the garden was already bustling with people offering prayers.
‘Too bad I won’t see the goddess statue erected.’
…So thinking, as I tried to pass by the garden—
“Th-Theodore!”
People who recognized me started buzzing. Ah, this kind of thing never gets old, no matter how many times it happens.
“Saint of Purification!”
“Foe of Evil!”
“Cat Lord!”
…Huh?
The last one’s new?
‘Did I get a new title without knowing?’
I pulled out the book from my bosom and checked the titles. Sure enough, a new one had been added. A very, very odd title. The text was all crooked, like a child had scribbled it.
[Cat Lord]
[You have given great joy to many cats.]
[Soon, the Cat Council will invite you.]
[Effect: TBD]
“…W-what?”
What is this unheard-of title? No, can this even be called a title? No effect at all?!
‘Cat Council…?’
What’s that? And ‘invite’?
I get that I earned this by planting the poria tree in the underground temple to send them off with a bang and letting them hunt rats to their hearts’ content. But….
‘This is too weird.’
Nothing gained despite the grandiose ‘Lord’ title. Honestly, with ‘Cat’ in front, it just sounds cute. If it were tiger or lion….
“…….”
Still, a title’s a title. It’s a plus, not a minus effect, hopefully. Shaking off the strange unease, I closed the old book and tucked it back.
‘Cat Council, huh….’
I’ll have to look into it.
* * *
We returned to Paul’s inn and prepared to leave Dihid.
“Here’s this time’s pay.”
“Wooow!!!”
“Thanks.”
“Though it’s only usable in the next city.”
I handed pouches of pay to Lloyd and Elle, then grumbled lightly. We should shop before leaving a city, but Dihid wasn’t in a state for that now. Plenty of gold, but felt stripped of everything else.
“Well, saving it until the capital’s fine.”
“How long to the capital?”
“Dunno. About a fortnight?”
Storm had rested well, so it’d run strong. We loaded the carriage, paid Paul for our stay. He refused, saying he couldn’t take money from city saviors, knowing his situation, I couldn’t accept the favor and left a few silver coins on the table.
Boarding the carriage, it finally sank in that all this was truly over. With the black rain stopped, Dihid’s restored scenery was beautiful. Peaceful sight of blue river flowing, greenery swaying. The wind blowing from afar was cool and sweet.
‘Please, let nothing happen in the next city.’
Time in Dihid wasn’t long, but so much happened it felt like weeks. The black rain blocking the sun made time hard to gauge, worsening it.
“Haa….”
I leaned my head on the carriage window, sighing blankly. Delayed fatigue washing over. Thanks to the Sand Olapunt Magic Stone Necklace, no need for sleep, but….
“Lloyd, Elle. I’ll catch some shut-eye.”
Somehow, I wanted to sleep deeply now. I turned the carriage seat into a bed, spread a thick blanket, and lay down. Then, Ppippi and Legion, who’d been tumbling playfully in my pouch, wriggled out and settled by my nape.
-Pip!
「Theo.」
“Yeah, yeah….”
I patted them roughly and closed my eyes.
「Theo.」
-Piii!
「Theo. No. Sleep.」
-Pip!!
“Daddy needs sleep too….”
Right now, I could drift off nicely. I pushed away the clingy ones, curled up. Faintly, Legion’s voice.
「Theo. Coming. Cats.」